Advanced Gas Jet Nozzle for Laser Wakefield Acceleration

76053-In laser wakefield acceleration, a plasma formed in a gas jet is used to create very high acceleration gradients to accelerate electrons. Scaling of laser wakefield acceleration to higher net energy gains requires gas jets that not only are centimeters long, but also have sharp edge density gradients. However, with conventional nozzles, the gas jets emitted into the electron-beam vacuum chamber are highly diffuse and have broad edge density gradients. This project will develop an advanced gas jet nozzle, which will have sharp edge density gradients and can be scaled to many centimeters in length. In Phase I, flow analysis codes will be used to analyze and quantify the flow characteristics of several proposed advanced gas jet nozzle designs. The limitations on key nozzle parameters, imposed by current state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, will be included in the analysis. Options for varying the transverse gas density along the electron beam trajectory also will be examined. Based upon these analyses, an integrated advanced nozzle conceptual design will be developed, which will form the basis for a prototype nozzle to be built and tested during Phase II. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The laser-driven acceleration of electrons offers the potential to develop more compact, less expensive electron accelerators. Such accelerators could find use in a wide range of applications in high-energy physics, industry, medicine, and academia.